


It Costs a Lot of Money to Look This Cheap

by Mildly_Maddy



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Friends to Lovers, Infidelity, M/M, Phone Sex, Sexting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 12:32:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10831350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mildly_Maddy/pseuds/Mildly_Maddy
Summary: What even is that your wearing under that tshirt? A rag??Liam looked down at himself. That checkered top had actually cost him half a grand and, until now, he’d thought that was money well spent.U really dont like it? :/Youd look better without sall im saying. At least take the tshirt off.Or, Louis sends Liam text messages mocking his recent fashion choices, and things escalate from there.





	It Costs a Lot of Money to Look This Cheap

**Author's Note:**

> A little silly smutty fic written in reaction to Liam and Louis's recent... bold fashion statements. Because I love these boys to death and I support them in everything they do but you won't make me believe they haven't taken the piss out of each other about all of this.
> 
> As always thanks to the light of my writing life, La, for helping me make this so much better than it was and dealing with my constant freak outs. I'd be nothing without you. <3
> 
> [Tumblr post if you want to reblog.](http://mildlymaddy.tumblr.com/post/160372418476/it-costs-a-lot-of-money-to-look-this-cheap) :)

_Liam you can’t go on like this._

This was all that Louis had written. Liam hadn’t been able to check his phone when he’d gotten the message, busy with filming his very first solo video, but even though it had been hours, Louis hadn’t sent anything else.

_What r u talking about??_

There was no immediate reply, but by the time Liam had made his way back to his London home, feeling a bit bereft with Cheryl and the baby all the way back in Newcastle with her mum, there was a picture waiting for him in whatsapp.

It was a paparazzi pic, showing Liam heading into the studio that very morning with Andy in tow.

He wasn’t sure what Louis’s point was. Surely launching his solo career after so many months of careful planning was a good thing?

He took himself in again, just in case there was something ridiculous about the picture, but he wasn't doing anything special on it, just walking. Then his eyes stopped on the chains around his neck. Oh, right. That again.

_I now u hate the chains but i lik them. cherly says they look good._

_Cheryls too busy taking care of your baby to pay attention to what your wearing. Shell be horrified when she does.  
And im not just talkin bout the chain._

Liam frowned, toeing his boots off and heading up to his bedroom. What was wrong with the rest of his outfit? He’d been trying a new style lately and he loved the way it made him look. Also, these clothes were super comfortable, which was a plus when you routinely got less than four hours of sleep at night.

_Whats wrong with my cloths?_

_It looks like you got dressed in the darkk mate._

_well i have a newborn baby keepin me up whats ur excuse?_

_My excuse for what?_

_Dressingl ike a bum._

He regretted the words as soon as he pressed Send, cringing at himself. He could think of several reasons for Louis’s recent fashion choices, like losing his mum or abruptly leaving his girlfriend for his ex or hell, being hounded by paparazzi every time he tried to go out the door, none of which were the kind of stuff Liam wanted to make fun of.

Dots came and went on Louis’s side of the screen but Liam hastily took his chains off and took a picture of himself in his bedroom mirror, then sent it to Louis with the comment, _Do i look better now?_

He sat on the edge of his bed as he waited for Louis’s reply, nervously tapping the side of his phone with his finger. God he hoped he hadn’t pissed Louis off.

_Only to a blind man_ , Louis finally sent back, and Liam sagged with relief. _How many layers aer you even wearin?_

Liam slipped his hand under his sweatshirt, fingers brushing over his clothes. _3\. Its chilly out._

_Dear god mate._

Alright, that was it. Excuse or no excuse, he wasn’t going to take such abuse without dishing back some of his own. _Send a pic of urself if u think ur better._

_I dress perfeclty finee._

_Then send apic._

Liam waited, feeling the familiar thrill of bantering with Louis like a current in his bones. He’d missed this. Things had changed so much in the past year, and while they were all for the better, Liam had felt decidedly untethered at times, even more so since the birth of his child. Baby Bear was both the brightest spot and the biggest source of anguish in Liam’s life, and he spent every waking moment terrified that he was going to ruin his son’s life by stupidity or negligence.

Two short vibrations from his phone dragged him away from those thoughts and he looked down to see Louis standing in front of a mirror, wearing exactly what Liam had expected to see.

_U do know socks r menat to be UNDER ur trousers not over em rite?_ he sent back with a triumphant smirk.

_Twat.  
Nothing wrong with warm ankels._

_N ur giving me fashion advice. :p_

It only took ten seconds for Louis to send another picture. He was standing barefoot now.

_Better, yuo prick?  
Take that hideous jumper off, t’sonly fair._

Liam rolled his eyes, but executed himself, fixing his hair before taking another picture of himself standing in front of the mirror. This was getting silly, but he couldn't stop smiling.

He didn’t have to wait long for Louis’s reply.

_What even is that your wearing under that tshirt? A rag??_

Liam looked down at himself. That checkered top had actually cost him half a grand and, until now, he’d thought that was money well spent.

_U really dont like it? :/_

_Youd look better without sall im saying. At least take the tshirt off._

Liam scrolled back up to take another look at Louis's picture.

_Ill take off my tshirt ifu take off the shirt u stole from a lumbeejack._

There was nothing for two minutes, then a new picture popped up on his screen, showing Louis standing in his sweatpants and a simple white t-shirt. The expression on his face made something twist inside of Liam’s stomach and he focused on the next line instead, where dots were once again coming and going.

Finally Louis sent another message. _Waitin for that pic payno._

Liam took his t-shirt off and pointed his phone at the mirror, his checkered top looking a little weird on its own. There was something unfurling deep in his gut, making his lungs have to work a little harder, his heart beat a little faster. 

_Oh god i take it bacj its even worse without the tshirt.  
take it iff too._

It was like a chord was being twanged inside of him every time Louis sent a message, a pang of something he didn't know how to describe, even to himself. It was the same feeling he'd always had whenever Louis pushed him to cross boundaries, to take one step further no matter the consequences. 

He'd never realized before, how close that feeling was to arousal.

He was feeling it, now.

He pulled his checkered tank top over his head and took a picture of himself bare chested, but didn't send it straight away.

_First u take off urs_ , he asked, unable to find a reason to want Louis’s perfectly ordinary t-shirt off but hoping it didn't matter.

_No_ , Louis deadpanned, before sending a picture anyway. He had filled out since the last time Liam had seen him, in a way that made Liam’s fingertips tingle with the urge to skim over the soft skin of Louis’s round hips. It was a nice sight, especially after seeing Louis so gaunt at the XFactor.

_We cant all be musclemqn_ , Louis added before Liam could send anything.

_Dont be stupid. U lokk amazing._

_Send the pic._

Liam did, feeling exposed in a way he'd never felt with Louis.

_Cryin shame, getting rid of that chest rug_ , Louis sent back, adding the thumbs down emoji after it.

Liam brushed a self-conscious hand over his chest. He did miss the hair, a bit. Cheryl had made it clear she did, too. But he also really liked the way his pecs looked more defined without the hair getting in the way.

He looked back at his phone to find two new messages from Louis.

_Those trousers re still hideous though.  
You shoud take them off._

_I only have pants undeneath_ , Liam typed back, feeling foolish for pointing it out but still thinking it needed to be said. He didn't know exactly when it had happened, but he was half-hard, in the pleasant unhurried way of someone who knew sex wasn't an immediate possibility. It didn't show under his trousers, but it probably would with them off.

_I know. Thats why Im asking._

Liam felt his face burn as he took his trousers off, taking a picture of himself wearing nothing but his black pants. He couldn’t decide whether he hoped the dark fabric would hide his semi from Louis, or whether he wanted Louis to notice it.

Why he would want Louis to know he was getting hard from all of this was another question that he had no desire to answer right now.

_There_ , he typed once the photo had been sent. _Happy now?_

Louis’s answer took a while to come. _Not as happy as you, Id say._

He’d tacked the aubergine emoji at the end of it, in case his meaning wasn’t perfectly clear.

Liam swallowed.

This was ridiculous. He hadn’t had sex in too long, is what it was. A baby that refused to sleep for more than three hours wasn’t exactly conducive to sexy times and he’d barely given Cheryl more than a kiss and a hug since the birth. He was sex-deprived and that’s the only reason he was turned on by his best friend asking him to undress.

He knew it was a lie, but he wasn’t about to admit it, least of all to himself.

Still he stood there in his pants, staring down at his phone, waiting to see if Louis would say anything else.

He didn’t, but he sent a picture. Not a full body shot this time, but a view of his lap, the outline of his cock starkly visible under his taut sweatpants.

Liam sat down on his bed, his legs feeling like jelly.

Shit.

This was going too far. Louis _had_ to know it was going too far.

But Louis would never back down. If Liam didn’t say anything, Louis wouldn’t.

Liam reluctantly typed another message, knowing it was the right thing to say but still not wanting to say it. _Whatre we doing?_

It took a long minute for Louis to send his reply.

_Thought twas obvious._  
Sexting.  
Dyou want to stop? 

_Shouldnt we stop?_

_Thats not what i asked._

Liam took a deep breath. What about El, he wanted to ask. Aren’t you guys back together?

_No_ , he typed instead. _I dont wantto stop._

_What dyou want to do then?_

Liam went to lock the door, unable to shake the feeling that Cheryl would somehow sense something was wrong and materialize in the house, ready to catch him sending dirty texts to his best friend.

_I want u to take yor trousers off_ , he typed once he was sitting back on his bed, trying to touch his cock as little as possible as he readjusted himself. He was fully hard, only getting harder at the thought of what Louis’s next picture might be.

_Ahead of you ther_ , Louis typed back straight away, sending another pic, the same shot as before but without the sweatpants. Louis’s right hand was curled over the bulge in his pants, the resolution so good Liam could even see the wet patch where he’d already leaked precome.

“Fuck,” Liam murmured, hand shooting down to palm at his own cock, suddenly desperate for touch. He couldn't stop staring at the picture, at that wet patch, at the clear shape of Louis's shaft. This shouldn't have been this arousing. Hell, it should have been awkward as fuck.

But it wasn't awkward. His mouth wasn't filling with saliva from feeling _awkward_. His cock wasn't aching to be touched from embarrassment. And Louis sure as hell wasn’t sending him a dick pick because he was feeling uncomfortable.

_Wtf di wanna se e ur cok so muhc??_ he sent back, fingers shaking too much to type.

_Call me._

Liam didn't even question the order, almost feeling relief at the familiarity of Louis bossing him around. The sound of his own heartbeat pounding against his eardrums, he pressed Call.

“Hey,” Louis said, his voice soft and a bit raw, like he'd just woken up.

Liam opened his mouth, but found he had no idea what to say.

“... Liam, you there?”

“Lou, should we really-”

“Don't,” Louis cut in, tensely. “Please. Just… don’t. Let it happen, for once. Okay?”

It was like Liam’s heart skipped a beat, like a tiny black hole interrupting the red thrum of his pulse.

Just let it happen, for once.

Then what’s the point of not doing it before? Liam almost asked, feeling a surge of unexpected anger at Louis acknowledging what Liam had spent fucking years trying to ignore.

Just let it happen.

Like that night at the Brits, when it had been just the two of them? Feeling loose and carefree, sitting slumped against Louis in the car that was driving them back to their respective places, his lips trailing kisses on Louis's neck, up to his jaw, because everything felt so nice, because having Louis close enough to touch again felt so _nice_ , because he loved Louis so much, had missed him so fucking much.

He remembered putting his hand on Louis's thigh, fingers squeezing lightly, and wanting to slide his hand higher. Remembered Louis's ragged breathing next to his ear, the tension in the back of the car so thick Liam could barely breathe.

Remembered Louis pulling back with a titter, stumbling out of the car in front of his house and sending the driver on his way before Liam could decide whether he wanted to follow him or not.

They’d danced around each other for years, really. Had cuddled late at night, Louis’s head tucked in against his neck, Louis’s fingers loosely entwined with his own, a lazy thumb stroking his palm back and forth, pressing up against his life-line. Or ended up sweaty and giggling, tangled limbs on the floor of a hotel room, from their tackling matches, Louis’s lips light against the corner of Liam’s mouth.

There’d always been a reason not to push.

But now Louis was finally pushing, and Liam wanted it to happen so badly he couldn’t breathe.

“What would you do if you were here then?” Liam asked, feeling the weight of every word, like a barrier finally crossed, an open door they'd never really be able to close again.

It was probably a trick of his imagination, but he heard Louis lick his lips before he replied, “I'd suck your cock, wouldn't I? Wrap my lips around the head, take a lick at your slit… Wonder what you taste like…”

Liam bit back a moan, hand clenching almost painfully over his cock and brain filling with static as his orgasm very nearly overtook him, leaving him panting and disoriented.

“Liam?” Louis sounded unsure.

“Sorry,” Liam gasped out, forcing his fingers to loosen. “Was trying… not to come.”

He heard a soft chuckle down the line, and closed his eyes, letting himself picture Louis, sitting on his own bed, hard and soft all at the same time, smiling at Liam in that self-satisfied way that had always made Liam feel flushed with pride at giving Louis what he wanted.

“Coming’s kinda the point of all this though,” Louis pointed out. There was the sound of him shuffling around, the faint rustling of sheets, before he added, “You should wank yourself off, actually. Tease the head with your thumb. That’s what I’d do.”

Liam was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to last more than two seconds, but he did as Louis ordered, pushing his pants down his thighs and wrapping one hand around his cock, the pad of his thumb brushing featherlight against the head. He bit back a moan and a curse, thumping his head against the headboard in the vain hope the pain would keep him from coming too soon.

“Feels good?” Louis asked, voice softer than Liam had anticipated. It was easy to kid himself into believing Louis was really there, sitting beside Liam on the bed, leaning close to watch him jerk himself off.

“Fuck, yes,” Liam answered, letting his eyes fall shut, his brain supplying him with images of Louis, biting his lip and staring at Liam’s lap. “Haven’t done this in… a while…”

Louis chuckled again. “Better make it count then… Play with your balls a little. Tell me how heavy they are.”

Why didn’t I know you were a pro at phone sex? Liam thought, but he didn’t say anything, moving his hand down to his balls and squeezing lightly. “Oh fuck,” he gasped out, hand immediately moving back up to wrap around his cock. He started stroking himself properly then, unable to wait any longer, no matter how much he didn’t want the moment to end.

“Yeah, like that,” Louis whispered in his ear, sounding like he wasn’t quite conscious of saying the words out loud.

Liam wanted to tell him to keep on talking, but it felt like it would be too much. He focused on the sound of Louis’s breathing instead, tried to pretend it was Louis’s hand around his cock, going hard and fast and unrelenting, like he thought Louis might do it, like it was a race to the finish line and Louis was determined Liam should finish first.

“Wanna hear you come,” Louis murmured, and Liam did, gasping through it, fingers clenching around his phone as his body went taut like a bowstring for a second before unwinding, leaving him boneless, slumped down against the throw pillows.

“Did you come?” Louis asked, sounding eager.

“Yeah… yeah.”

“Send me a pic.”

Liam could barely hold the phone up to his ear, arm shaking from the endorphin rush. “... yeah?”

“Yes. Do it right now.”

There was a tense edge to Louis’s command that made Liam’s body thrum faintly, like aftershocks of his orgasm, and he fumbled with his phone to turn the camera back on, trying to get a shot of his stomach and thighs. He’d made a mess of himself, but he forced himself to send the picture anyway. Hopefully Louis would find it sexy, and not disgusting.

“There, sent,” he said, letting himself slip further down the bed, loose-limbed and content. He grabbed a corner of the sheets and tugged them over his lap; now that the sweat on his skin was cooling off, the room didn’t feel so warm anymore.

“Good. Wait - oh. … yes. Fuck. Oh, _fuck_.” The erratic slapping noise of Louis’s hand on his cock as he jerked himself off echoed in Liam’s head loud like thunder. “Liam… shit… you look...” Louis whined in the back of his throat, and the sound suddenly went wonky, as if he’d dropped his phone. 

Liam sat up, ears straining to catch Louis’s moans, anger gripping him at being robbed of this, robbed of his one shot at hearing Louis come undone because of him, because he’d sent him a picture of the drying come on his skin. He heard Louis keening again, then nothing. “Lou?” he asked, desperate to hear him speak. If he didn’t get to hear every minute sound of Louis coming, then he at least wanted to hear him come down from his orgasm; it was only fair. “Lou.”

The sound shifted again, then Louis’s voice came through, clear as before. “Sorry. Dropped the… the phone. Fuck. Fuck,” he said again, with a dazed little laugh that warmed Liam through and through. “Don’t think I came this hard in years.”

Liam lay back down, basking in pride. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. That picture you sent… fuck, no way I’m deleting that, I don’t even care.” He laughed again, and Liam bit his lip to keep himself from saying anything stupid, like, ‘When can we do this again?’, or ‘Is it weird that I wish I could have kissed you?’

He listened to Louis’s breathing for a while, liking the way it slowly quieted down, and how even after this, the silence felt comfortable. There was a difference between pushing someone to cross their boundaries and wanting someone to be more than what they were. Louis had never made him feel like he wasn’t enough.

“Liam?” Louis asked after a while, voice soft.

“Yeah?”

There was a pause, then Louis said, the words slightly rushed, “Thanks for letting it happen.”

How long had you wanted it to happen for? Liam thought. “Thanks for… thanks for making it happen, I guess,” he said instead, tittering. What were you supposed to say after you’d had phone sex with your best friend, really? Liam was so out of his depth all he could see was jet black seas.

“Not sure you should thank me about that,” Louis said with a sigh. There was another ruffling of sheets, then Louis’s voice came on again, slightly muffled. “I’d been wanting to do this for a while. Or… something like it, anyway. That’s fucked up, right?”

Liam’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected such honesty. “It’s not fucked up,” he said, even though he didn’t know quite what it was.

“Cheers,” Louis said. “But I’m pretty sure it is.”

“I want to see you,” Liam blurted out, knowing it was a mistake and making it all the same. “Face to face, I mean.”

“Pretty sure that’s the worst idea you’ve ever had,” Louis said.

“That’s not a no,” Liam pointed out, feeling his heartbeat picking up again.

There was silence on the other end of the phone, then a small sigh.

“Lou?”

“... okay. Alright. I’ll be there in fifteen. Just this once, right?”

“Just this once,” Liam said.

Who knew. If they said it with enough feeling, maybe it wouldn’t be a lie.


End file.
